Rustic Bakery’s Cacao Nib Almond Sticks

By Farina Wong Kingsley

Photo by Tim Porter

These thin, crisp butter almond cookies are sold by the dozen at the Rustic Bakery in Kentfield. Baker Carole LeValley uses Straus’s organic butter and Scharffen Berger cacao nibs. The sophisticated finger cookies pair well with gelato or an espresso.

Combine the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt in a food processor. Pulse for 4 to 5 seconds, until the mixture becomes a fine meal. Add the butter to the mixture and pulse again for 3 seconds, until the mixture is crumbly.

In a small bowl, combine the water and the vanilla and almond extracts. Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough becomes crumbly and just comes together. Add the cocoa nibs to the dough and pulse 2 to 3 quick times until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a disk and place each disk between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Roll and shape each piece into a 6-by-9 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough crosswise into B/c-inch-wide strips and lay the strips 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Let cool on the pans for 10 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 30 to 40 cookies.

Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

Written and photographed by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley, and produced by Marin Magazine, this is a seasonal cookbook that celebrates the organic farmers and ranchers of Marin County. Flavor will feature a recipe from Organic Marin each month. The book can be purchased at local bookstores or by going to marinmagazine.com/organicmarin.